Why your exec team needs seasoned HR skill

When it comes to the latest workforce trends, many organisations around the world are suddenly finding themselves struggling to catch up. Those who are new to expanding global markets have a sense of urgency in addressing dramatically increased competition. This, coupled with rapidly advancing technology, requires a workforce that is lean, perhaps a little mean, and flexible enough to change on a moment’s notice.

Once a matter for recession, the size, shape, and nature of the organisation is now a critical matter for global business growth and competition. To better respond to 21st century market demands companies now include with their permanent core of talent and contingent workforce a growing component of freelance independent consultants.

All the more reason why they choose to work with independent HR consultants and advisors like Talmix consultant John who delivers what they most need in this ever-fluctuating world.

John calls himself an HR Generalist – which he describes as an experienced HR professional with responsibilities and accomplishments across the total scope of established HR functions. He has provided value to businesses in the USA through to the Middle East, with emphasis on compensation and benefits, performance and rewards, and competency development. “Senior HR professionals are becoming far more relevant within the boardroom. They have a huge responsibility to align HR programmes and objectives with organisational strategy. Businesses realise that it’s not just about doing a job. It’s about gaining employee engagement at all levels within the organisational culture; it’s about aligning all efforts and objectives with the business plan for growth and value delivery to customers," he tells me.

And John has done it all. In fact, while his journey into the human psyche may have started in high school when he realised his affinity for languages, his future direction was actually established as a US Air Force officer. As a member of a total force of 1.5 million men and women deployed worldwide he learned the fundamentals of HR and the information systems required to support it. Air Force assignments to South Korea and The Netherlands enhanced his appreciation for languages and adjusting to foreign cultures. He left the Air Force and obtained an international MBA in Financial Management with intensive language training. He went on the practice international HR in a variety of industries – engineering and construction, financial services and commercial banking, petrochemicals, oil and gas, and higher education. It was during this period that the international HR bug had bitten and the rest is history.

Clients that work with John receive an accomplished individual who excels in the growth phase of a business and who is able to build a full scope of HR functions from the ground up. With his extensive international experience in Europe, the Middle East and Asia-Pacific regions, they also benefit from John’s understanding of cultural differences within the workplace.

And because John has chosen to immerse himself into organisations and cultures, executive teams immediately see his ability to help management build HR strategies aligned with the organisational growth plans. “In the past 10 years or so, as markets have developed – the Middle East is an example – CEOs have begun to notice a lot more movement of their executives to other companies and other industries. This is something new to most CEOs and they struggle to get their arms around why this is happening. The matter of executive compensation inevitably comes up, so now there is a great deal more interest in short and long term incentive compensation, executive stock option plans, etc. In developed western markets with relatively stable equity markets and taxation /statutory /regulatory requirements, this is when you usually call in the major global consultancy firms. Experience with such firms in the Middle East has been mixed and expensive. Local national managers have begun to understand that for the needed level of sophistication for this area and others outside of HR, there are plenty of talented individuals (or small teams of individuals) and freelance consultants who can do the job about as well for a lot less, and then be readily available for any necessary follow-up work. Executives are increasingly looking to work with someone who demonstrates experience and value. And if an individual is able to demonstrate that, then the match, as it were, is made”.

Read John's thoughts on the rise of the contingent workforce within the international HR agenda in this article.

About the Author

Katy is an independent marketing consultant and founded Fresh Brew Marketing out of her love for the cuppa. A seasoned marketer, Katy writes for several global publications and provides outsourced marketing services to businesses throughout the UK. She is a keen geocacher and rates running around in city centres dressed in Christmas lights as one of her most successful Social Media campaigns to date.